Security headaches for Singapore ahead of Trump-Kim meeting

More than 5,000 expected reporters, hundred of security staff for each the US and North Korean delegations, and dozens of high-ranking officials turn the planned June 12 summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un into a security headache for the small city state.

As the meeting is now on the cards again – after it was shortly called of by Trump last week -, the Singapore government has designed a special event zone in the area around the Shangri-La hotel, covering the districts of Tanglin, Newton and Orchard where the foreign ministry, the US embassy and several other large hotels are located.

Special measures apply to the event zone. People entering the area must allow the police to inspect their personal belongings if asked. In addition, certain items will not be allowed to be taken inside, including explosives and arms as well as aerosol paint containers or substances “capable of being used to mark graffiti”. Megaphones and flags or banners larger than 1×1 meter or with a handle longer than a meter are also not allowed within the special event area.

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The bill for the security measures will be footed by SIngapore, the government said.

The Shangri-La hotel has initially been mentioned as a possible venue for the meeting, although other venues such as The Fullerton Hotel at Marina Bay, the St Regis near Orchard Road and the Capella hotel in Sentosa are also rumoured to be possible locations for the talks.

There has been no confirmation of the venue for the summit yet. Open questions remain on where each leader will stay, whether the summit is in a different location, how to manage the media hordes and keep curious locals at bay.

However, media found out that all rooms at the Capella hotel are blocked out in the days around the venue date, and it could be a preference for Trump due to its close proximity to a golf course. Reporters have been banned from entering the building.

Meanwhile, the nation’s armed forces have been told to stand by, with US-built Apache helicopters and F-16 fighters ready to patrol the skies over the summit, The Straits Times reported.

More than 5,000 expected reporters, hundred of security staff for each the US and North Korean delegations, and dozens of high-ranking officials turn the planned June 12 summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un into a security headache for the small city state.

As the meeting is now on the cards again – after it was shortly called of by Trump last week -, the Singapore government has designed a special event zone in the area around the Shangri-La hotel, covering the districts of Tanglin, Newton and Orchard where the foreign ministry, the US embassy and several other large hotels are located.

Special measures apply to the event zone. People entering the area must allow the police to inspect their personal belongings if asked. In addition, certain items will not be allowed to be taken inside, including explosives and arms as well as aerosol paint containers or substances “capable of being used to mark graffiti”. Megaphones and flags or banners larger than 1×1 meter or with a handle longer than a meter are also not allowed within the special event area.

Click to enlarge

The bill for the security measures will be footed by SIngapore, the government said.

The Shangri-La hotel has initially been mentioned as a possible venue for the meeting, although other venues such as The Fullerton Hotel at Marina Bay, the St Regis near Orchard Road and the Capella hotel in Sentosa are also rumoured to be possible locations for the talks.

There has been no confirmation of the venue for the summit yet. Open questions remain on where each leader will stay, whether the summit is in a different location, how to manage the media hordes and keep curious locals at bay.

However, media found out that all rooms at the Capella hotel are blocked out in the days around the venue date, and it could be a preference for Trump due to its close proximity to a golf course. Reporters have been banned from entering the building.

Meanwhile, the nation’s armed forces have been told to stand by, with US-built Apache helicopters and F-16 fighters ready to patrol the skies over the summit, The Straits Times reported.